Chris Billam-Smith and Cheavon Clarke to headline Zuffa Boxing 12 in London
Chris Billam-Smith will face Cheavon Clarke, who beat him twice as an amateur, at the Copper Box Arena on 7 November, Bad Left Hook reported, six weeks after Zuffa Boxing's show there tonight.
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Chris Billam-Smith and Cheavon Clarke will renew an amateur rivalry at the top of a Zuffa Boxing card at the Copper Box Arena on 7 November, Bad Left Hook reported.
It is Zuffa's second show at the east London venue in six weeks: Johnny Fisher faces Michael Pirotton there tonight, as covered in our Fisher vs Pirotton weigh-in report. Billam-Smith is from Bournemouth, and Clarke, from Jersey, boxed for Great Britain as an amateur.
Clarke beat Billam-Smith twice in the amateur ranks, but the former WBO cruiserweight champion arrives as the more established professional. Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KO) defended the title twice before losing it to "Zurdo" Ramirez, and beat Ryan Rozicki in June. At 36, he is not rated alongside Zuffa stablemate Jai Opetaia or David Benavidez, who has moved up to cruiserweight, but remains one of the better fighters in the division, in Bad Left Hook's assessment.
Clarke (12-2, 9 KO) turned professional late and moved quickly through the ranks until defeats to Leonardo Mosquea and Viddal Riley checked his progress. He was heavily knocked down by Jack Massey at Zuffa 7 before coming back to stop him.
The card also features a light heavyweight contest between Zach Parker (26-2, 18 KO) and unbeaten former amateur standout Umar Dzambekov (14-0, 10 KO). Bad Left Hook wrote that Parker arguably deserved to beat Joshua Buatsi last November. Dzambekov stopped Ahmed Elbiali inside two rounds on his Zuffa debut.
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